Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at College of Southern Maryland

Similar allied health programs in Maryland suggest first-year earnings around $40,000—right at the state median and notably above the national benchmark of $36,862. With estimated debt of $18,445, you're looking at a debt-to-earnings ratio that's manageable by community college standards, where graduates typically borrow less than at private institutions.

The catch here is visibility. The Department of Education suppressed this program's actual outcomes because too few recent graduates participated in the survey, so we're relying on what comparable Maryland programs report. Those peer programs show significant variation—from $34,000 to nearly $50,000 in first-year earnings—which means your child's outcomes could differ meaningfully depending on which specific allied health specialty they pursue and where they land their first job. Medical assisting roles, for instance, typically pay less than certain clinical specialties within this broad category.

The debt load appears reasonable for what these positions typically pay, and community colleges generally offer better value than for-profit alternatives in this field. But before committing, pin down exactly which credential track your child would follow—"allied health" covers everything from medical assistants to radiologic technicians, and those career paths have very different earning potentials. The school should be able to share placement rates and typical employer partners, even if federal data remains limited.